


Prompt #28: Don't Look Too Close

by yourmafiaexo



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-06
Updated: 2016-12-06
Packaged: 2018-09-06 21:36:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8770222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yourmafiaexo/pseuds/yourmafiaexo
Summary: Kyungsoo and Jongdae have never had such a big case in their hands.





	

**Author's Note:**

> WARNINGS: mentions of drugs trafficking, mentions of human trafficking, baekhyun, mentions of violence.
> 
> Side Pairing/s: Baekhyun/Chanyeol, Kris/Suho, Sehun/Kai
> 
> A/N: First of all, thank you to Josie for being the most wonderful beta in the world. Sorry for the terrible title and writing, but I had lots of fun writing this so thank you to the prompter!

Kyungsoo considered himself the 21st century Sherlock Holmes. He was exceptionally smart, could solve a puzzle faster than any other kid in his school, and knew more about forensics than most grown-ups did.  
  
  
He’d spent his childhood watching crime shows and reading mystery novels instead of playing with his brother and the neighbourhood kids. Specifically, he enjoyed reading Arthur Conan Doyle, simply because the phrase _“Where there is no imagination, there is no horror”_ had stuck with him since he read it for the first time. Somehow, those words had been what lead him to his line of work.  
  
  
He cracked his first case at the tender age of eleven, with the help of his only friend, Jongin, long time next-door neighbour. Jongin was only ten, but proved time after time to be far more mature than other kids his age, even when he was sleepily hanging off Kyungsoo’s sleeve in the early morning on their walk to school, making clever inputs about whatever caught his interest or had read the night before. Jongin loved reading interesting facts, devoured encyclopaedias almost as fast as he ate his fried chicken every Friday.  
  
  
They stumbled across the mystery of the missing asthma inhaler by accident. Well, to be more specific, Jongin tripped over Kim Junmyeon when leaving the school building one afternoon, the older boy crouching by the entrance stairs and looking frantic. Kyungsoo, forever exasperated by anything that wasn’t Jongin or his mother, sighed impatiently and tried nudging past him, but curse Jongin and his bleeding heart; he gave Kyungsoo puppy eyes and he was a goner.  
  
  
“Hyung,” Kyungsoo called, “Do you need help?”  
  
  
Junmyeon looked up from his spot on the ground, mouth hanging open and taking in staccato gasps and Kyungsoo noticed there was something very wrong.  
  
  
“Hyung, are you having an asthma attack?” Jongin asked, his small voice conveying a worried tone. Junmyeon’s condition was widely known by their classmates, and he had a doctor’s note excusing him from P.E for the rest of his life. Junmyeon shook his head and said, “Not yet,” which was worrying enough for Kyungsoo to offer his help.  
  
  
Junmyeon explained how his inhaler had gone missing during lunch; “I usually stay in the library during recess, because I can’t play with the other kids without the teachers watching me like hawks and I know the others don’t like that,” he told them ruefully. “At first I thought I had left it in my backpack, so I didn’t worry,” he stopped then, took a lungful of breath and continued, “But when we went back to the classroom, I checked and noticed it was gone.  
  
  
“I told Miss Kwon, and she helped me look around the classroom, she even searched other backpacks and lunchbox lockers to see if it was a mean prank, but it wasn’t there. In the end, she called my mom. She’s getting me a new one right now, but I feel bad; this is my third inhaler of the year.”  
  
  
Kyungsoo nodded, very adult-like. He had a feeling one of their seniors had taken it, one specific boy in mind: Wu Yifan. He was a year older than Junmyeon and had a knack for making his life impossible. Usually by making snide comments to the boy, but Kyungsoo didn’t consider the thirteen-year-old any bigger than stealing his inhaler.  
  
  
“Jonginnie, you stay here with hyung,” he told the younger boy. Jongin looked lost for a moment when Kyungsoo detached himself from his side but was quick to latch onto Junmyeon’s arms and tug him down to sit on the top steps.  
  
  
Kyungsoo wandered back into the lit hall, his tiny legs carrying him without thinking towards the seventh grade classroom and towards the back where the lockers were located. Their school was tiny, with fewer than six hundred students in total, ranging from kindergarten to high school, and every class had fewer than forty students, all of them with individual lockers.  
  
  
Yifan’s locker was located in the far left corner, at the top of the row. The locker combinations were four-numbered and chosen by the owners at the beginning of the year, and Kyungsoo cracked it at the second try (trust a bloke like Yifan to choose a lame combination – 0987 wasn’t exactly difficult to guess.)  
  
  
Unfortunately, Kyungsoo didn’t find anything there other than crumbled up pieces of paper and textbooks. Feeling defeated, Kyungsoo went back to Junmyeon and Jongin; the older boy looked anxious even as he listened intently to Jongin rambling about animals.  
  
  
“… and did you know that when a pack of wolves takes down a big prey, they usually bury the leftovers so they can feed from it later and don’t hunt again until they’ve eaten it all?” Jongin’s excited voice carried across the empty hallway.  
  
  
“I checked Yifan’s locker,” Kyungsoo informed them as his way of announcing his presence; Junmyeon looked surprised at the mention of the Chinese male, but didn’t say anything. “There was nothing there other than rubbish.”  
  
  
Kyungsoo was proud of himself for knowing so many big words at such a short age. Jongin’s hand shot up in the air like the teachers had taught him to do during class and Kyungsoo nodded at him.  
  
  
“What about his other locker, the one in the gym?”  
  
  
Yifan was in the basketball team, and all the players had a separate locker in the changing rooms to keep their equipment and clothes. Kyungsoo smiled at him and said, “Very smart, Jonginnie! I’ll go see now.”  
  
  
Jongin smiled widely at the compliment, clearly pleased with himself. Kyungsoo made his way to the other side of the school as fast as he could without running and pushed open the double doors that led to the gym; the volleyball team had practice that afternoon, and the coach gave him a surprised look but didn’t question his appearance nor tried to block his way when Kyungsoo made a beeline towards the changing rooms.  
  
  
Again, Yifan’s locker combination was 0987, and Kyungsoo suppressed a disappointed sigh at the boy’s clear lack of imagination. This time, Kyungsoo found his hyung’s inhaler and he snatched it up, running out of the gym and nearly toppling over the two boys in his haste.  
  
  
“I found it!” Kyungsoo gasped. Junmyeon jumped up and took his precious inhaler, then gave Kyungsoo a bone-crushing hug and thanked him profusely, promising him that if he ever needed anything, “And I mean anything, Kyungsoo-yah, hyung is here!”  
  
  
The next day, Kyungsoo and Jongin accompanied Junmyeon to the principal’s office where the boy told Mr. Lee about how Yifan had taken his inhaler and hid it from him, Kyungsoo nodding behind his back to everything his hyung said and adding how Yifan would always tease and make fun of Junmyeon. Mr. Lee suspended Yifan for three days and made him apologize to Junmyeon. Yifan looked disgruntled the entire time; however Junmyeon couldn’t wipe the smile off of his face even if he tried.  
  
  
Two years later, when Kyungsoo was a freshman and Yifan was a junior, the Chinese male did something that didn’t exactly surprise anyone and asked Junmyeon out; after the inhaler fiasco, Yifan had become amazed by Junmyeon, clearly thinking that whoever dared tell on him was worthy of his attention, even if Junmyeon never bothered to give him the time of the day after that.  
  
  
What did surprise the entire school population, and especially Kyungsoo, was Junmyeon saying yes. Even Yifan’s younger brother, Zitao, gaped at them when Junmyeon said yes, clearly expecting him to say no and walk away. Perhaps slap his brother across his face, call him a jerk and stomp his feet. What was even more surprising was their relationship lasting even after Yifan went off to college, and Kyungsoo beamed in delight when years later he received an invitation to their wedding. He had a heart, and he liked Junmyeon.  
  
  
After high school, Kyungsoo went to college and majored in Criminalistics, while Jongin chose becoming a Dance major in a different school. They remained in contact, though, same with Junmyeon who was studying to be a lawyer and they got together every two weeks to keep up with each other’s lives. The moment he graduated, gown still on and everything, he made a run for it and signed a lease on an office downtown where he put his life savings, filed a permit and became Do Kyungsoo, private investigator. He hired a high school kid, Byun Baekhyun, to be his secretary and started working immediately. Jongin moved in with him after his own graduation, with a promise to always pay for his half of the rent even if he wasn’t working. Kyungsoo didn’t doubt him.  
  
  
The first two years he worked alone, and most of his clientele were middle-aged women suspecting their cheating husbands. It wasn’t exactly what Kyungsoo had had in mind, but at least it paid the bills, so Kyungsoo couldn’t complain. Despite Baekhyun’s promise of only working there until he started college, the blonde had stuck with him, claiming, “Kyungsoo hyung is really generous with my pay check, how could I leave him?” And it was true; Kyungsoo spoiled the boy, mainly because he was the closest thing he had to a friend other than Jongin, and he knew the Byun family struggled with money, so he didn’t see anything wrong with paying the boy a little more than necessary.  
  
  
Kyungsoo met Jongdae in December during a case; it was the first time he was working on something meaningful, a young heiress whom had been kidnapped and the family was sure the boyfriend had something to do with it, and Jongdae had been the butler of the house (and the girl’s psychologist) who had kindly helped him through the ups and downs of the family affairs.  
  
  
Unfortunately, the case went cold and Kyungsoo was never able find out what happened to the girl, something that still kept him up at night sometimes. Jongdae had been fired for undisclosed reasons and had ended up at Kyungsoo’s doorstep, looking a whole lot like a kicked puppy and Kyungsoo couldn’t send him packing even if he’d wanted to.  
  
  
Over time, Jongdae became his Watson, the one who sent him home when it was late at night and even Baekhyun had chosen sleep over sending them cute messages on KakaoTalk to keep them going. He was also quite the assistant, knew Kyungsoo’s coffee preference by heart, and was smart enough to make actual contributions during their cases.  
  
  
Without Kyungsoo noticing, Jongdae had become an important asset in his life, a valuable friend and an amazing companion. If he wasn’t busy annoying the living daylights out of him, of course.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kyungsoo had two general rules: number one, do not bite the hand that feeds you. This could apply to multiple scenarios: for example, Baekhyun should stop insulting every client that walked through the door, or else Kyungsoo was going to lose business. Number two, business must always stay business; absolutely no dating your clients.  
  
  
The second rule was one Kyungsoo had told Baekhyun time and time again, which is why he is left standing speechless at the sight of Baekhyun flirting with their newest client. And it wasn’t discreet flirting, either, but full on eyelash-batting and arm-touching and a whole lot of other things that gave Kyungsoo a headache.  
  
  
Jongdae bumped into him on the way in; the older man had opened his mouth to say something most likely offensive until his eyes landed on Baekhyun and he whistled lowly, “Go, Baekkie. That guy is hot.”  
  
  
Kyungsoo gave him a look of disgust that was mostly for show, because he agreed; the man was attractive, tall with broad shoulders and a nice smile with a set of perfect, white teeth. Plus, his sleeve tattoo was pretty hot.  
  
  
Kyungsoo cleared his throat rather loudly when Baekhyun started giggling like a high school girl and was pleased at the look of pure terror that flashed across his face before he covered it up with a smile and said, “Hey, boss!” then turned to Jongdae and said, “Hey, Jongdae!”  
  
  
“Troublemaker!” Jongdae surged forward and trapped the boy in a headlock, “I’m as much your boss as Kyungsoo is, you know?”  
  
  
Baekhyun laughed, and Kyungsoo nearly passed out in embarrassment because this was so not proper work behaviour and much less in front of a new client. Thankfully, the man didn’t seem to mind it, simply looking on in amusement.  
  
  
“Excuse me,” Kyungsoo said pointedly, “We have company.”  
  
  
Jongdae let Baekhyun go with a ruffle of his hair and turned to their client, “Hello there!”  
  
  
Kyungsoo suppressed an eye roll and said, “I’m Do Kyungsoo, private investigator. How may I help you?”  
  
  
The client said, “Ah, just who I wanted to see!” then motioned towards the door that led to the office with a hand and asked, “My name is Park Chanyeol. May I speak to you in private?”  
  
  
Kyungsoo led the way, ignoring Jongdae’s pout for being left out. Kyungsoo’s office was decorated as simple as possible; there was a desk, two chairs for the clients, and a bookshelf on the opposite wall. As soon as the door to his office shut closed, Chanyeol started talking.  
  
  
“It’s my grandfather,” the man said, his voice taking on a more shaky tone and Kyungsoo was surprised at the change of demeanour, “I haven’t heard from him in a week. The police said that there probably isn’t anything to worry about, because he’s always been the kind to disappear for a few days and come back… but I know this isn’t the case, because he always makes sure I hear from him so I don’t worry.”  
  
  
The grandfather clock, placed next to the window on the left of Kyungsoo’s desk, announced the time: eight am, almost time for Jongdae to start nagging Baekhyun about his classes and his meals.  
  
  
Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow, “Like how?”  
  
  
“Sometimes he calls me, from whatever town or city he ends up in. Other times he sends me a postcard. A few times he’s even left notes in his house, like clues of some sort because he just loves that kind of shit.”  
  
  
“And you haven’t found anything,” Kyungsoo concluded. The man nodded shakily, running an anxious hand through his hair. Kyungsoo sighed before saying, “Well, before we can rule out anything, me and my partner will have to go to your grandfather’s house to check it out; maybe he left you a note and you just haven’t found it yet, or perhaps he is missing and we might find clues as to his whereabouts.”  
  
  
Chanyeol agreed immediately, writing his grandfather’s address down on a piece of paper and folding it neatly. Kyungsoo looked him up and down; he wasn’t about to write him off as innocent so easily. After all, the concerned grandson charade could be an act to keep the suspicion off him. Kyungsoo was smarter than that.  
  
  
  
  
Perhaps in another life, Kyungsoo had been a bad person. Maybe a serial killer, like Jack the Reaper, or a rapist or something like that, and maybe this life was his punishment because no way Jongdae walking into his life was a mere coincidence. At the back of his mind, Kyungsoo knew he cared about the older man, but he honestly couldn’t bring himself not to hate him when Jongdae was belting out song after song in the most obnoxious way possible, annoying bubble-gum pop songs, the only kind of music he seemed to have on his iPod.  
  
  
The ride to Park Youngmin’s house was long and tiring. The man lived in Gangnam district, south of the Han River, while their office was located in Jung district, in the north, so it took them a long time to arrive. Baekhyun rode in the backseat, humming along to the songs and Kyungsoo would have preferred listening to him sing instead of Jongdae. He wasn’t surprised Baekhyun knew the songs perfectly; the boy was cute like that.  
  
  
They arrived at a pompous residence, just off the highway, guarded by a big metal fence and they parked in front of the main entrance where Chanyeol stood, already waiting for them.  
  
  
Kyungsoo heaved a sigh of relief when the music was turned off and ignored the pout he received from Jongdae in return, focusing all his attention on Baekhyun as he said, “No more flirting, Byun, got it?” to which Baekhyun rolled his eyes and nodded exasperatedly.  
  
  
They all got out of the car at the same time. Chanyeol waved at them with a goofy grin on his face, the suit he wore making a great difference between the man standing there and the boy who had gone to their office two days prior in ripped jeans and a t-shirt.  
  
  
“Mr. Park,” Kyungsoo extended a hand which Chanyeol shook while exclaiming, “Please! Just call me Chanyeol; Mr. Park’s my grandfather.”  
  
  
Baekhyun lingered behind them, obviously making an effort not to anger Kyungsoo, but was shoved forward unceremoniously by Jongdae, making him trip; Chanyeol caught him by the elbow. Baekhyun steadied himself and muttered a ‘thank you, sir’ while blushing madly and moving to stand behind Kyungsoo as if he were his own human shield. If Chanyeol found his behaviour odd, he didn’t mention it.  
  
  
“Oi, Chanyeol! Kim Jongdae, at your services,” Jongdae chirped enthusiastically, shaking Chanyeol’s hand with a broad smile.  
  
  
Chanyeol shifted awkwardly and said, “Well, uh, please come in! I’ll show you around.”  
  
  
The house was spacious, most of the décor coloured white with hints of black and red, certainly more modern than Kyungsoo had expected. They quickly made their way around the house, pausing long enough for Baekhyun to take pictures of the rooms and for Jongdae to jolt down notes in his little black notepad before moving on to the next room.  
  
  
All the rooms were spotless, not a speck of dirt or dust; unfortunately, there was nothing worth mentioning. Kyungsoo grew progressively more restless, until finally arriving at the man’s office.  
  
  
It was certainly the only room that actually looked lived in, a large mahogany desk placed in the center and a comfortable looking set of velvety chairs placed by a fireplace on the right. There were two large windows behind the desk that allowed sunlight to stream in, however slightly blocked by the heavy curtains halfway shut.  
  
  
What definitely called Kyungsoo’s attention was the sheer amount of paperwork; there didn’t seem to be a surface other than the floor that wasn’t littered with folders, binders and loose sheets of paper.  
  
  
Jongdae scribbled something down before pocketing the notepad and grabbing multiple folders at a time, while Baekhyun made sure to capture every surface of the room, camera clicking away. It was a routine they knew like the back of their hands, one that not only helped them keep grounded but was also good to establish a resemblance of organization to their chaotic job.  
  
  
Kyungsoo sat at the desk and started the computer; it required a password to access the main user. There was a pile of books balanced precariously on a corner of the desk, all looking worn out and terribly old.  
  
  
“Chanyeol-ssi,” Kyungsoo called the man, who had been standing by the doorway like a lost puppy, “Would you happen to know your grandfather’s password?”  
  
  
Chanyeol thought for a moment, and then said: “Nine, two, one, one, two, and seven.”  
  
  
Kyungsoo typed in the numbers as they were dictated to him, and the computer made a faint ‘ding’ sound as it logged in immediately.  
  
  
“Impressive, how you knew that right away,” Kyungsoo complimented him in a mutter. Chanyeol blushed and replied with, “It’s my birthday.”  
  
  
Kyungsoo went to the computer’s library and started snooping around, and for a long while there was nothing but the sound of shuffling paper and mouse clicking, the occasional sneeze from Baekhyun as the room was slightly dusty and his allergies were terrible, with Chanyeol responding to questions and offering them coffee refills every once in a while.  
  
  
“Guys, I think I found something,” Baekhyun spoke nearly two hours later, buried under piles of paper, “It seems like Mr. Park bought a house down in Guro a few years ago, except I can’t find anything that proves he’s actually been there; no phone or electricity bills, just a house.”  
  
  
“Is that important?” Chanyeol asked confusedly.  
  
  
“Perhaps,” Kyungsoo said, “Maybe he’s there. It wouldn’t hurt to check it out. Baekhyun, call Minseok and ask him to meet us there.”  
  
  
Baekhyun stood up from his seat, eyes rimmed red and running nose, and walked out of the room with his phone in hand.  
  
  
“Kyungsoo-yah, come here,” Jongdae said, not looking up from his lap, “It looks like Mr. Park also got a warehouse. You know the kind that you can find in piers and shit? Also two years ago.”  
  
  
Kyungsoo looked over the papers; things were starting to get fishy. The warehouse was located deep into the heart of Gangdong, the most dangerous district in Seoul. It was known for its dark streets and dead-ends, not to mention the amount of gangs in the area. So it begged the question of why buy a warehouse there? When he could have easily gotten a storage unit in Hongdae?  
  
  
“Alright, we’ll check it out later,” Kyungsoo said. He ignored Jongdae’s proud smile, and ignored the odd fluttering in his stomach.  
  
  
“What about you?” Jongdae asked as Kyungsoo circled the desk and sat back down, “Have you found anything interesting?”  
  
  
“Not really, no - Wait,” Kyungsoo clicked on an email from one _imnho@gmail.com_ with the subject **NEW ADDITIONS ARE HERE.**  
  
  
_Mr. Park, I’m terribly sorry for not communicating before, I was unfortunately held back; some issues at the house, nothing to worry about. The boys were wondering if you would join us. I expect you will, considering the new additions you ordered; we have them. It would be an honour if you would come check them out before they’re shipped off. Of course, you already know the address; however, I’m attaching an image so you don’t get lost.  
Lee Minho_  
  
  
The attached picture showed a house in the middle of fucking nowhere, chipped paint and the roof looking like it was going to fall down any second. Kyungsoo could feel Jongdae breathing down his neck and tried his very hardest not to squirm. It was difficult, considering the proximity of the other boy.  
  
  
“That is in Bukhansan National Park,” Jongdae informed him, “I went there on a hike during college.”  
  
  
“How could you possibly know that?” Kyungsoo asked him incredulously, eyeing him sideways, “Even if you’ve been there before, all forests look the same. It could be anywhere.”  
  
  
Jongdae scoffed and pointed at the picture, “See those mountains back there? I remember them distinctly because Lu Han fell down from one of those.”  
  
  
Lu Han was Jongdae’s roommate since freshman year in college; there was a brief moment in time during sophomore year when they were separated in different halls, but then they convinced their parents to help them get an apartment and moved in together. Kyungsoo didn’t know much about the older man, other than Jongdae’s stories of how evil he was.  
  
  
“Fine, let’s say it is in Bukhansan,” Kyungsoo conceded, “We still don’t know how to find it; that park is huge.”  
  
  
“Maybe Chanyeol knows,” Jongdae said and looked up to the taller man, only to see they were all alone.  
  
  
Kyungsoo and Jongdae walked out of the studio together, turned a corner and where met with what was starting to become a sadly familiar sight: Chanyeol and Baekhyun way too close, except this time Chanyeol had Baekhyun pinned to a wall, hands on hips while enthusiastically sucking on his lips, Baekhyun eagerly returning the kiss with groping hands of his own.  
  
  
Kyungsoo couldn’t do anything but stare in mild disgust because that was his dongsaeng, his sweet little dongsaeng and what the fuck was Chanyeol doing? But also with jealousy because it had been a while since he’d last been intimate with anyone and he was starting to get lonely.  
  
  
It wasn’t until Chanyeol was licking into Baekhyun’s mouth and the smaller boy whimpered that they made themselves known.  
  
  
Jongdae had a shit-eating grin on his face, eyebrow raised as he said, “Hot damn,” and laughed at the sight of the two of them springing apart like they’d been shocked, “There are plenty of rooms in the house, I’m sure you guys could find one for yourselves.”  
  
  
Baekhyun had blushed deep red as he caught Kyungsoo’s eye but quickly looked away when his boss glared. Chanyeol at least had the decency to look ashamed, even if his hands remained glued to Baekhyun’s body. Kyungsoo looked down pointedly and Baekhyun carefully removed himself from Chanyeol’s grasp. Chanyeol looked like he wanted to take him back but didn’t.  
  
  
“Chanyeol-ssi,” Kyungsoo said tightly, “Do you know if your grandfather had a property in Bukhansan National Park?”  
  
  
“I, uh,” Chanyeol stuttered, “I don’t think so, why?”  
  
  
They showed him the email. Chanyeol frowned.  
  
  
“Who’s Lee Minho?” he asked.  
  
  
“If you don’t know…” Jongdae trailed off. Kyungsoo spoke, “Baekhyun, did you get in touch with Minseok?”  
  
  
“I did, he said he would be meeting with us in Guro next week. I have a question, though; if Minseok hyung works at Jung Police Department, does he have jurisdiction at Guro?”  
  
  
Kyungsoo pondered for a second and said, “Probably; either way, we just need him to watch our backs.”  
  
  
They made plans with Chanyeol for him to meet up with them on Monday and then left.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The car ride back home was awkward, Kyungsoo glaring at Baekhyun through the rear view mirror as the young boy wiggled around in his seat. Jongdae drove the car in silence. As soon as they arrived at Baekhyun’s apartment, the boy moved to get out of the car but Kyungsoo lunged and locked the door from Jongdae’s side.  
  
  
“Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo said slowly, “I want you to stay away from Chanyeol.”  
  
  
Baekhyun sighed, “Yes, I know the rules. I’ll back off until the case is over -”  
  
  
“No,” Kyungsoo interrupted, “You cannot go out with this man; ever. I don’t want you to ruin my reputation like you always do with every one of our clients.”  
  
  
Baekhyun made a strangled noise. “You know what? You don’t have to worry about me ruining your reputation, Kyungsoo. I quit.”  
  
  
“Baekhyun -”  
  
  
“No!” Baekhyun exclaimed, “I am so done with you trying to control me! I’m sorry for wanting to go out with a nice guy who is genuinely interested in me, I’m sorry I has been such a bother to you all these years. Goodbye, Kyungsoo-ssi.”  
  
  
Jongdae unlocked the door and Baekhyun got out, slamming the door. Kyungsoo sat there, speechless. He couldn’t believe he said those things to Baekhyun, but he couldn’t take them back because they were true. That didn’t make it ok, though.  
  
  
Jongdae took him home and Kyungsoo got out without saying a word.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
For the next three days, Kyungsoo locked himself in his apartment. He didn’t bother going to the office, didn’t charge his phone or even shower. He felt like absolute shit for making Baekhyun upset. In Kyungsoo’s opinion, Baekhyun was an angel sent from the heavens and didn’t deserve that.  
  
  
On the fourth day, Saturday, Jongdae banged on the apartment’s door until Kyungsoo had no choice but open it. Kyungsoo didn’t want his neighbours calling the cops.  
  
  
“What do you want?” Kyungsoo asked tiredly. The older man had that annoying smile plastered on his face, and Kyungsoo tried to ignore how he didn’t feel as bothered by it as usual.  
  
  
“I’m taking you out,” Jongdae said, pushing Kyungsoo until they were both inside the apartment. Jongdae shut the door behind them and made his way to Kyungsoo’s bedroom; he immediately started going through his closet and tossing things to the bed.  
  
  
“Don’t you think we are a little old to be going to clubs?” Kyungsoo questioned, eyeing the clothes on his bed warily.  
  
  
“One, we are twenty-eight-year-olds, we’re not old,” Jongdae said, “Two, we are just going to a bar to get you drunk.”  
  
  
Kyungsoo had no choice but go with it. They ended up at a new bar a few blocks away from his apartment, and Jongdae led them to the counter. It didn’t take long for Jongdae to coax him into downing drink after drink, ranging from gin  & tonic and piña coladas to shots of tequila and vodka.  
  
  
The bar owner, a walking twig named Sehun, was working the counter and continuously giving them worried and slightly judgemental looks as he poured Kyungsoo whatever complicated concoction Jongdae ordered.  
  
  
At some point of the night, Kyungsoo thought it was a good idea to call Baekhyun. It went straight to voicemail, unsurprisingly, but that didn’t stop Kyungsoo from leaving a very embarrassing message.  
  
  
“Baekhyunnie,” Kyungsoo slurred, “It’s your favourite hyung, Kyungsoo! Baekhyunnie, hyung is sorry, hyung didn’t mean to offend you, hyung just loves you a lot!”  
  
  
Next to him, Jongdae was cackling madly while taking a sip of whatever he was having.  
  
  
“Hyung loves you very much so hyung doesn’t want you to be hurt by some tall hot stranger! Please forgive hyung! Please~”  
  
  
Next to Kyungsoo, a man muttered something about ‘gays sitting close to him’ and ‘disgraceful’ and Kyungsoo ended the call with a frown as he turned to the man and said, “Excuse me, sir, but I was leaving a heartfelt message on my little dongsaeng’s phone and you interrupted me.”  
  
  
The man looked at him with distaste and muttered some more. Walking stick Sehun frowned and opened his mouth to say something until Kyungsoo beat him to it, “Excuse me, sir, but I am not a ‘faggot’” he made quoting motions when he said the offending word.  
  
  
The man said something terrible, something that had Jongdae’s smile slipping off his face and Sehun tensing and Kyungsoo isn’t sure what got into him but he pulled his arm back and punched the man across the face. Jongdae murmured a low ‘shit’ but Kyungsoo didn’t get to hear it because the man was already sitting up again and his own fist was connecting with Kyungsoo’s face.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Minseok was the one who arrived first. Minseok was the one to arrest him and Jongdae, while the other responder took the man and his friend. The ride to the precinct was horrible, because Minseok kept nagging them while Jongdae groaned in despair. Kyungsoo didn’t really feel anything.  
  
  
Kyungsoo used his one call on Junmyeon, his lawyer, and sat down in the hard bench of the cell with an icepack pressed to his swollen eye. Jongdae joined him ten minutes later, mostly uninjured save for a cut on his upper lip. They stayed silent, until Jongdae made a scoffing sound.  
  
  
“What?” Kyungsoo groaned. They were sitting on opposite ends of the cell, alone.  
  
  
“I just find it ridiculous,” Jongdae shook his head, “I am so in love with you, I think you look hot even with a black eye.”  
  
  
Kyungsoo gaped at him, icepack nearly slipping out of his hand. He had no idea what to say to that, and thankfully he was saved from having to say anything at all by the arrival of Junmyeon and Baekhyun with Chanyeol in tow.  
  
  
Minseok was behind them with the cell keys in hand, “You guys are good to go, but please don’t make me arrest either of you ever again.”  
  
  
Jongdae scrambled to his feet and practically ran away, stopping long enough to thank Baekhyun for bailing him out. The young man looked confused but when his eyes landed on Kyungsoo his face softened and he tugged his hyung to his feet.  
  
  
“I got your message,” he said softly, and surprised Kyungsoo when he hugged him tightly, “And I love you, too.”  
  
  
Kyungsoo hugged him back with one arm while his other hand held the icepack.  
  
  
“Minseok hyung told me what happened,” Baekhyun continued in a whisper, “Did that man really say those things… about me?”  
  
  
Kyungsoo nodded stiffly, feeling the anger rise back. Baekhyun only held on even tighter and mumbled, “You don’t have to worry about me, hyung. I can take care of myself… but I like it when you worry.”  
  
  
Baekhyun pulled away, a wide smile on his face. Junmyeon was still waiting outside the cell, as was Chanyeol.  
  
  
“Mr. Park,” Kyungsoo nodded, too tired to even think about his client seeing him in jail.  
  
  
“I told you to call me Chanyeol,” he said.  
  
  
A thought occurred to Kyungsoo. “Were you two together?”  
  
  
Baekhyun blushed while Chanyeol looked away, his face itching to break out into a grin. Joonmyeon looked from Baekhyun to Kyungsoo to Chanyeol and seemed like he wanted to say something, but Minseok clapped him on the shoulder and told him, “Don’t ask, it’ll give you a headache.”  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Jongdae felt so stupid. _Stupid, stupid, stupid._ What was he expecting would happen? Kyungsoo was going to reciprocate his feelings and they were gonna sail off into the sunset on a unicorn? No, his life wasn’t that good. He had known all along that his feelings were one-sided, so it made no sense for him to be feeling so dejected.  
  
  
Jongdae walked into his apartment in a daze, not surprised at all when he found his roommate, Lu Han, getting it on with his fucktoy Yixing on the couch.  
  
  
“Woah! Dude, where have you been? Jongdae?” Lu Han looked worried as he slid on a pair of sweatpants while Yixing retrieved his underwear from the floor. Jongdae flopped down next to them, not caring about how gross it was.  
  
  
“I told Kyungsoo,” he said blankly. He didn’t have to specify what he’d said, because Lu Han knew perfectly well how he felt about his boss. Even Yixing knew, with the amount of time he spent in their apartment and thanks to Lu Han’s loud mouth.  
  
  
Lu Han stayed quiet, giving Jongdae time and space to talk when he wanted to.  
  
  
“And then I ran away from the precinct.”  
  
  
“Wait, time out,” Lu Han said, “Precinct?”  
  
  
“I was sort of arrested, not a big deal,” Jongdae waved him off.  
  
  
“Not a big deal?!” Lu Han exclaimed, clearly thinking it was a big deal, “What the fuck? Why were you arrested? Why didn’t you call me?”  
  
  
“I got into a bar fight with a pair of pigs and I knew you were busy with Yixing here so I called Baek instead.”  
  
  
Lu Han stayed silent. Yixing sat on the other side of Jongdae, and one of his dainty hands wrapped around Jongdae’s. Jongdae held on tight.

  
  
  
  
Kyungsoo figured that perhaps he should have noticed, the way Jongdae looked at him sometimes. But he’d been too afraid to get his hopes up only to be shut down if he made a move.  
  
  
The true was that Kyungsoo had an embarrassing crush on the older man; he couldn’t help it, the way he would fight down a blush whenever Jongdae stood too close to him in cold mornings to share body warmth, how he would catch a whiff of his cologne mixed with aftershave cream.  
  
  
Kyungsoo pretended he didn’t feel anything, tried to make it seem like he was more exasperated rather than fond of Jongdae’s whining and general loudness. He forced the green monster inside of him to go away whenever Baekhyun got into one of his touchy moods and clang to his hyung.  
  
  
Jongin and Junmyeon had both given up on him a long time ago, after spending so many months urging him to get over himself and ask Jongdae out. Even Yifan and Zitao talked to him about it once during a very drunk Christmas party at Junmyeon’s office. How the two Chinese males knew about it escaped him, though Kyungsoo suspected it had something to do with Junmyeon’s big ass mouth.  
  
  
But Kyungsoo couldn’t bring himself to do it; just the thought of Jongdae rejecting him and breaking his heart was unbearable and unthinkable and simply _not happening_. So Kyungsoo lived happily with his feelings shut in a little black box in the back of his mind and continued on with his life while making dry comments about Jongdae’s hair that he only halfway meant.  
  
  
  
  
Monday came too soon for everyone. Kyungsoo was the first to arrive, Minseok right behind him. The police officer offered him a smile and thankfully didn’t bring up Saturday night. Kyungsoo didn’t want to deal with that.  
  
  
A few minutes later Chanyeol was parking his car on the curb, and with him was Baekhyun, camera in hand.  
  
  
“Hyung, I un-quit,” he said. Kyungsoo smiled and ruffled his hair. Last was Jongdae, who was dropped off by a disgruntled looking Lu Han. Jongdae got out of the car and didn’t say anything to Kyungsoo, simply waved goodbye to his roommate as he drove away.  
  
  
Minseok ushered them all inside the house after they found it unlocked, Baekhyun immediately getting to work, snapping away at his camera. Kyungsoo was amused to see Chanyeol following him like a lost puppy. Minseok decided to stand guard at the front door, claiming they needed someone to fend off the delinquents.  
  
  
Kyungsoo took the chance to drag Jongdae to a corner, ignoring his surprised yelp.  
  
  
“Listen, Dae, about the other night -” Kyungsoo started, but Jongdae interrupted him: “Forget about what I said; I was drunk, I didn’t know what I was saying.”  
  
  
With that, the older man left to check out the kitchen, leaving Kyungsoo behind with his heart on his stomach, because he knew Jongdae hadn’t had a single drop of alcohol all night.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The house was clearly abandoned. Cobwebs decorated every surface. The little amount of furniture was broken, and the air smelled like humidity. Kyungsoo made an effort not to breath in too much, but he still felt nauseated. They separated, every man by himself and slowly made their way around the house. They checked all the rooms, coming up empty handed even after looking through every crook and cranny. Kyungsoo was about to give up when Chanyeol called from the hallway.  
  
  
“What is it?” Jongdae asked. He’d kept clear of Kyungsoo’s presence, scurrying away when their eyes met. Kyungsoo swallowed down the knot in his throat. Chanyeol was standing at the end of the hall, and at his feet was a giant hole. The rug that previously sat on the spot was wrinkled and kicked out of the way.  
  
  
“I nearly fell down,” Chanyeol whined.  
  
  
“It looks like there used to be a door here,” Minseok said as he emerged from the entrance. He continued, “There’s also a staircase. I’ll go first.”  
  
  
Kyungsoo stood back as Minseok pulled his gun from his belt and climbed down. Baekhyun came out of the closet and peered down to look at whatever Minseok was doing.  
  
  
“Do you see a switch?” Jongdae called.  
  
  
“Uh,” Minseok said, “Yeah, I found one.”  
  
  
There was a click and the basement was suddenly illuminated in a yellow light. Kyungsoo climbed down first, followed by Baekhyun, who started sneezing the moment he breathed in the dusty air.  
  
  
This room seemed lived in, just like Mr. Park’s studio in his mansion. It was also dirty and dusty and humid like the rest of the house, but there were clear signs of someone being there often; there were clean spaces around the chair by the desk, and some of the furniture wasn’t in as bad condition as everything else.  
  
  
They all turned to look at Jongdae when he gave an unmanly squeak. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and said: “I, uh, I saw a mouse.”  
  
  
Kyungsoo resisted the urge to laugh and instead busied himself with sorting through the drawers on the desk. There seemed to be a lot of crap in there; pens, clips, post-it notes, the usual sort of thing you would find in a desk. Nothing earth-shattering or enlightening, unfortunately.  
  
  
Kyungsoo sent Baekhyun back upstairs to get fresh air when he sneezed for the tenth time and Chanyeol followed after him once again as if he couldn’t get enough of his presence. Kyungsoo let him go, not bothering to cover the warm smile on his face; Chanyeol would be good to Baekhyun, no doubt.  
  
  
They sat in the dim lightning for a while, looking for anything that would lead them in the right direction for a change, until Minseok knocked over a box. The policemen bent down to pick it up when he noticed a gap in the wall. Upon closer inspection, he saw there were files hidden inside.  
  
  
“Kyungsoo-yah,” he called, “Come take a look.” Kyungsoo stood up from his crouching position by the desk; he’d been looking for any hidden papers or drawers.  
  
  
With each paper Kyungsoo read, with every word, he could feel his heart sink more and more into his stomach, and the overwhelming feeling of being way in over their heads threatened to suffocate him. It’s not like he hadn’t considered this possibility, considering the properties he kept hidden from his beloved grandson, but it was disheartening to be proven right.  
  
  
He and Jongdae shared a look, both of them dreading already having to tell Chanyeol of their discoveries.  
  
  
When they made it outside, Chanyeol was animatedly telling Baekhyun stories about his childhood with his grandfather, a blinding smile on his face. Kyungsoo considered spontaneous combustion.  
  
  
“Oh, you’re back!” Chanyeol said when he caught sight of them, “Did you find anything?”  
  
  
Jongdae nudged Kyungsoo forward. “Yes, we did. This isn’t the best place to talk, though. Would you mind meeting us back at the office in an hour? You could get lunch while we sort through some papers, if you want.”  
  
  
Chanyeol looked confused but nodded. Baekhyun moved to get in the car with Chanyeol but Kyungsoo called out to him, “Actually, Baekhyun-ah, I need you to come with us first; there are some things we need your help with.”  
  
  
Baekhyun could recognize the look on his boss’ face and didn’t question him.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“Damn,” Baekhyun muttered. They were sitting in the office, Minseok getting coffee across the street. After showing their discoveries to Baekhyun, they all discussed how to tell Chanyeol. It wasn’t going to be easy, that was for sure.  
  
  
The office door opened and in came Minseok, followed by Chanyeol. The tall boy had a box full of cookies; Kyungsoo only felt worse.  
  
  
“I got lunch,” Chanyeol laughed as he placed the box in Baekhyun’s desk.  
  
  
“Chanyeol,” Kyungsoo said, “Why don’t you sit down?”  
  
  
The smile slowly slipped off his face at the tone of Kyungsoo’s face but he obeyed. Jongdae and Baekhyun shuffled awkwardly in the back; Baekhyun avoided looking directly at Chanyeol. Kyungsoo cleared his throat, trying to come up with words. Chanyeol only got more anxious as the silence stretched.  
  
  
“We found some files in the house,” Kyungsoo started, “There were pictures, and bank account movements plus… other things.”  
  
  
“Did anything say where my grandfather is?” Chanyeol asked hopefully. Kyungsoo swallowed and pulled out the first picture, “This is proof of drug trafficking.”  
  
  
Chanyeol stared at the picture, like he couldn’t decipher what he was seeing.  
  
  
“Here,” Kyungsoo said, “You can see your grandfather making deals with a known arm dealer. And in these last pictures,” Kyungsoo paused, not sure of how to phrase it, “You’ll see a group of young, kidnapped girls locked in a basement with your grandfather in the back.”  
  
  
The silence in the office was deafening. Chanyeol was staring at the photos in his hands with a blank expression on his face. Minseok remained by the door; Kyungsoo knew it was hard for him to keep his mouth shut about what they had found, but the policemen had promised he wouldn’t do anything until they found Mr. Park.  
  
  
Finally, Chanyeol spoke.  
  
  
“Will someone pass me a cookie?”  
  
  
  
  
  
  
By 3 o’clock they were on their way to the warehouse in Gangdong. Chanyeol had insisted on going with them, claiming he still wanted to find his grandfather. He wanted answers. Kyungsoo had been reluctant to let the young boy join them, considering the things that were coming up at every corner and how Kyungsoo just _knew_ they were messing with his mind.  
  
  
Minseok had decided not to go, considering his police car and police uniform and the general policeness of his presence, claiming cops were not welcomed in that area. Baekhyun had suggested he wore civilian clothes and rode with them, but Minseok insisted that even the way he walked would alert every one of his job. So it was just the four of them, wandering into the most dangerous district in all of Seoul. Baekhyun tried reassuring them, said he knew Hapkido and could protect them from criminals, but then Jongdae reminded him that bullets were faster than his short legs and the young boy pouted in defeat. Kyungsoo was amused to see Chanyeol melt at the cuteness.  
  
  
Chanyeol and Baekhyun rode the backseat in silence. Baekhyun kept sneaking glances at the taller boy, looking like he wanted to say something but didn’t know what. Chanyeol stared resolutely out the window, glaring at nothing in particular.  
  
  
Meanwhile, Kyungsoo drove with hands tight over the wheel; this was the first time in the entire day he was so close to Jongdae, and the older male couldn’t run away even if he wanted to. In an ideal world, Baekhyun and Chanyeol would be in a different car, and Kyungsoo would be all alone with his hyung and he’d be able to-  
  
  
Well, Kyungsoo wasn’t sure _what_ he would do, but he’d definitely do something.  
  
  
Probably something dumb, like confess in the most embarrassing way. Or kiss his hyung, right on his stupid lips. Maybe he’d just blabber away, like he does when he’s nervous. Either way, it was best they weren’t alone; that way he didn’t do anything stupid.  
  
  
Luckily, the warehouse wasn’t located too deep into the district, so it didn’t take long for them to reach their destination. Kyungsoo parked the car in an alley a block down from the warehouse and they all filled out, walking quickly.  
  
  
It registered in Kyungsoo’s mind that the warehouse shouldn’t have been open. It made no sense, especially when you considered how many incriminating information they had found before and were most likely to find here. But considering their streak of luck so far, none of them gave it much thought. The four of them walked in, looking around with curiosity and apprehension. Inside it looked just like a regular warehouse, with lots of junk lying around on the floor and wooden boxes.  
  
  
Jongdae wandered over to the nearest box, which was roughly high enough to reach his waist, and slid the top off with minimum strength.  
  
  
“Shit,” he said under his breath. Kyungsoo, having overheard, walked closer to him and peeked inside; the box was filled with ammo, most likely for something big; perhaps a rifle, not that Kyungsoo was good with guns.  
  
  
“Guys,” Baekhyun called from a few feet over, “Check this out.”  
  
  
That box had what appeared to be, at least to Kyungsoo, a shit ton of cocaine. The next one was full of guns. Chanyeol continued growing paler with every box they opened, and Kyungsoo felt bad for the guy; it wasn’t every day you discovered your deal old grandpa, whom had raised you, was actually quit the mafia boss. The closest thing Kyungsoo had been to experience something like that was when he discovered his uncle was not the actual king of ice cream, but just an employee at the factory and got free samples. They searched the entire place, and despite the amount of incriminating evidence, there were no signs of Mr. Park anywhere.  
  
  
It all went to hell fifteen minutes later. They were at the far back of the warehouse; Kyungsoo and Jongdae looking over some shipment orders while Chanyeol and Baekhyun were on the upper floor snooping around and giggling dumbly. At first, Kyungsoo thought he was hearing voices; then he realized someone was about to enter the warehouse and were right at the entrance opposite them.  
  
  
He and Jongdae shared a panicked look before they dived into the first hideout they could find, a large locker that barely fit them both. Out of the corner of his eye, Kyungsoo saw Chanyeol and Baekhyun crouching behind a cooler away from the railing; they were well hidden, as long as no one went looking specifically for them.  
  
  
It wasn’t until Kyungsoo was trying to regain his breathing that he noticed just how close he was to Jongdae; their noses were touching and their knees kept knocking together. Kyungsoo blushed deeply at the same time Jongdae widened his eyes. They both held their breaths when the warehouse door opened and in came five very large, very intimidating men. They were too tall and too broad, and Kyungsoo noticed some were even bigger than Chanyeol, so his hope practically went down the drain.  
  
  
Kyungsoo prayed to God they didn’t hear his heartbeat. Jongdae was staring at him with fear; his breathing was coming out erratically but at least he wasn’t being noisy.  
  
  
Something inside of Kyungsoo snapped, perhaps the imminent danger made him temporarily delusional, and he found himself saying, “I love you too,” before placing a hand over his hyung’s mouth to shut him up because the men were moving towards them. He wasn’t sure where the confession had come from; it didn’t even register in his mind what he was saying until the words had left his mouth and he felt like following his hope.  
  
  
One of the man stopped mere steps away from the locker they were hiding in; Kyungsoo’s heart nearly hammered its way out of his chest, but then the guy continued moving and Kyungsoo relaxed a fraction. It seemed like forever before the men left the warehouse again, and even then they all stayed hidden for a few minutes just to make sure they were safe. Jongdae lifted one of his hands to pry Kyungsoo’s own off his mouth slowly.  
  
  
“Did… did you mean it?” Jongdae asked in a shaky voice. Kyungsoo looked at him, noticing how insecure his hyung sounded. It broke his heart. They were still holding hands.  
  
  
“Yes,” Kyungsoo breathed out. It was like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and he didn’t feel as exposed as he thought he would; he felt secure, because he knew Jongdae felt the same way.  
  
  
The locker’s door flew open and Baekhyun’s flushed face was in front of them. “What are you waiting for? Let’s get out of here, before they come back.”  
  
  
They scrambled out of the locker and ended up on a heap on the floor, limbs tangled together. Baekhyun yanked Kyungsoo to his feet by the elbow and hauled him towards the door. Chanyeol was nowhere in sight. Jongdae was right behind them.  
  
  
The sunlight hit Kyungsoo square in the face and he narrowed his eyes to protect them from the glare. Baekhyun let go of his elbow and ran towards their car, which was suddenly on the curb, Chanyeol in the driver’s seat low-key making wild gestures at them that could have meant ‘hurry up!!’ or something like that. Kyungsoo took off after him but faltered when Jongdae grabbed his hand and tugged him back, whispering a quick “We’ll talk about this later,” and let go too.  
  
  
Kyungsoo jumped in the backseat right after Jongdae and Chanyeol hit the gas immediately, the tires screeching as they took off at full force. Soon, they were speeding along the highway; Kyungsoo’s heart had finally stopped beating as fast as it had been.  
  
  
Suddenly, Baekhyun laughed. It started as a giggle, the kind Kyungsoo was used to hearing through the walls as Baekhyun preferred chatting rather than working, and then evolved into a happy laugh. Chanyeol laughed along too, and Jongdae joined in right after. All three were laughing with joy, complete with hoots and hollers. Kyungsoo even managed to smile, though he couldn’t match up to the excitement in his companions. He was too winded, too exhilarated at the knowledge of Jongdae loving him.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Back in the office, they all sat around Kyungsoo’s desk and discussed what they saw. Chanyeol seemed to be in better shape than he was in the morning; however Kyungsoo knew the boy was trying to put up with it as best as he could. He also knew Baekhyun had been of help in his own way, holding his hand all day long.  
  
  
Minseok showed up around seven in the evening, providing them with the elixir of life, aka coffee. Jongdae nearly tripped over himself in his haste to get to the older man and snatch a foam cup from the tray on his hands. Kyungsoo was suddenly brought back to the first time Jongdae introduced him to Minseok, the words _“Not just my friend but my saviour,”_ ringing in his head. At the time, he hadn’t understood what that meant, thinking that maybe he meant saviour the way he would if he were to call Jongin or Junmyeon that; saved him from missing his seven am lecture, saved him from going home with a douche, saved him from spilling his drink all over the floor when he was too shitfaced to react.  
  
  
A year later, when it was dark out and they were still hunched over files and Jongdae had gotten into one of his truth spilling moments, Kyungsoo found out what he had meant.  
  
  
“You know how I met Minseok?” Jongdae started, “I guess not, I’ve never told you and I know he hasn’t told you because he can keep a secret. You see, when I was in college, I was sort of a wild child. I went to parties, went home with anything that moved and barely ever saw the inside of my dorm room.”  
  
  
Jongdae sighed wistfully, and Kyungsoo had the impression the lack of sleep was getting to him, because it didn’t seem like the older man was aware of Kyungsoo sitting right there or even realized he was talking. It was almost as if he were drunk on caffeine.  
  
  
“I used to think I was invincible, that I was on top of the world. You know, usual young adult shit. One night, I went to this party outside of campus alone because my friends were all lame and preferred to stay studying than have fun. Unfortunately, I was too drunk to remember most of what happened. I do remember, however, being arrested at three in the morning. Of course, my parents gave me quite the earful before disowning me. Honestly, I wasn’t too bombed by not inheriting some shitty bakery. I was, however, quite sad that I lost my scholarship. You see, I had a full ride because of my impeccable grades in high school, but having a criminal record was a big no-no for the director’s board.  
  
  
“Minseok was fresh out of the academy, barely twenty-three years old, but he helped me out. He and Lu Han scored me that job with the Parks, made sure I stayed out of trouble. He assured them I had been collateral damage, that my arrest hadn’t been my fault but my friends’. I guess I owe him a lot; I can’t believe he put up with me all these years.”  
  
  
Jongdae fell silent after that, and they never spoke about it again. Kyungsoo pretended not to know the truth when Jongdae told old college stories. Technically, he would have been a junior the year he and Lu Han went on a road trip and barely made it to Busan before turning back around because Lu Han got a stomach-ache. He knew Jongdae wished he’d been granted the opportunity to finish his studies, get his degree in Psychology and work with kids. One drunken night, Jongdae confessed to him he’d wanted to work with those who couldn’t afford it, orphans with mental disorders who wouldn’t get adopted simply because the people in charge didn’t care enough.  
  
Sometimes Kyungsoo got the gnawing need to do something, to sign Jongdae up for college lectures or whatever he could do. But he didn’t, in fear Jongdae would leave him.  
  
  
It was stupid, it was selfish, but it was legit; he didn’t want Jongdae to get another job, he wanted the older man to stay with him.  
  
  
Kyungsoo was brought back to reality when Baekhyun nudged him in the ribs and offered him coffee. Kyungsoo muttered ‘thank you’ and focused on reading the papers in front of him. After lots of meddling they had convinced Minseok to stay silent for a while, just until they figured things out. It’s not like they didn’t have solid evidence, the documents found in Guro reason enough to order an arrest. But _who_ would they be arresting, if Mr. Park was still missing? For all they knew, Lee Minho could be an alias. So they’d check out Bukhansan first, and then they’d go to the police.  
  
  
Chanyeol yawned loudly from his spot on the couch and announced his departure by simply saying, “I’m tired, see you guys,” and walking out the door. Baekhyun stared after him with a pout, clearly put out by not being more important than the others and Kyungsoo almost said something comforting; almost, because he really didn’t know what to say. Minseok was next, waving lazily as he slipped out with Baekhyun in tow.  
  
  
And then it was Kyungsoo’s worst nightmare because he and Jongdae were finally alone. Kyungsoo remained quiet, not sure of what to say. Jongdae was checking his emails and texts, snorted occasionally (probably talking to Lu Han) but otherwise said nothing. By eleven o’clock, Kyungsoo was too tired, his eyes were too heavy and he decided to call it a night.  
  
  
“I’m going home,” he said with a raspy voice, “Are you coming?”  
  
  
Jongdae looked up at him as Kyungsoo slipped into his coat and grabbed his workbag. There was something odd in Jongdae’s eyes, Kyungsoo thought. Jongdae nodded his head twice with a hum, “Yeah, sure, I’ll drive you.”  
  
  
It was amazing, how someone so loud and talkative like Jongdae could remain in absolute silence for the entire ten minutes it took them to get from the office to Kyungsoo’s apartment complex. Kyungsoo spent the entire ride worrying his lower lip, staring out the window. Seoul was lively at night, and it brought a sense of comfort to look at all the familiar buildings and street signs. In the few years he’d lived there, Kyungsoo had memorized every twist and turn, every crack on the sidewalk, every shop and shop owner.  
  
  
Jongdae parked the car on the curb and Kyungsoo climbed out with a quiet thank you, the only words either of them uttered at all. Jongdae grunted in response and drove off before Kyungsoo even made it to the entrance.  
  
  
Jongdae always waited for Kyungsoo to be safe inside before leaving.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Four days later Kyungsoo stood at the entrance of Bukhansan National Park with climbing gear in one hand and sandwich in the other, courtesy of Baekhyun. The sandwich, not the gear; Kyungsoo doubted the kid had ever done anything even remotely physical in his life.  
  
  
Minseok had tagged along for safety purpose, as was his entire role in their lives; _you keep us alive, we pay you a good deal_. At the moment, he and Baekhyun were going over a list of necessities provided by Lu Han. And speak of the devil:  
  
  
Lu Han was fussing over Jongdae, strapping the gear in place and simultaneously telling him off for waking him up so early on his day off. Chanyeol stood not too far away, curiously reading over a pamphlet. The tall boy had been quiet the entire morning, barely looking up and smiling when introduced to Lu Han. Kyungsoo could understand a small fraction of what he was going through - the poor kid had gone to them two weeks earlier in search for his missing grandfather. But what everyone had written off as a simple vacation turned out to be something a lot more complicated – drugs trafficking, weapon smuggling and God knows what else. It was understandable for him to be upset; finding out your hero was a criminal couldn’t be easy.  
  
  
Baekhyun sidled up to Chanyeol, his face breaking out into a grin when he caught glimpse of the small boy. Kyungsoo had to squash down the overwhelming need to wrap Baekhyun in a blanket and protect him from the world ever since the kid turned eighteen. Now, he was twenty-three and ‘dating’ a guy who looked like he ate rocks for breakfast. It didn’t matter that Chanyeol was actually as cute as a child, he was a guy and guys were jerks.  
  
  
Jongdae returned from the park ranger’s office, a white sheet of paper in hands and a man in green uniform on his tail.  
  
  
“Contract,” he said, “It basically says that if we die climbing the mountains, it’s our own damn fault."  
  
  
There were three mountains, shaped like a W. Kyungsoo had never gone rock climbing in his life, but he could tell this would be tricky. They had already scoured the grounds of the park and found nothing. Lu Han, whom had gone climbing these same mountains in college, assured them there was nothing even remotely shaped like a house on the public path. So, they had to go through the less known ways, while trying not to fall to their deaths.  
  
  
They all signed the contract and the park ranger went back to the wooden cabin. Not two minutes later, they were making their way through the park towards the mountains. Kyungsoo could feel the sun glaring down on them; his shirt was already soaked in sweat.  
  
  
Baekhyun walked beside him, leather boots making crunching noises as he stepped over fallen leaves and sticks. His puppy-like eyes were lit up in joy and Kyungsoo couldn’t help but guess that it had nothing to do with his amazing presence.  
  
  
“What’s up with you?” Kyungsoo asked. Baekhyun looked startled before he answered with, “What do you mean?"  
  
  
Kyungsoo shrugged. “I don’t know. You just look too happy for someone who is being forced to climb a mountain.”  
Kyungsoo could tell Baekhyun was trying to hide a grin when he answered, “I got invited to audition for grad school next year.”  
  
  
Kyungsoo immediately took Baekhyun into his arms and squeezed the life out of him. “Baek, that’s great! I’m so proud of you,” the cutest blush appeared on the kid’s cheeks.  
  
  
“Thank you, hyung,” Baekhyun said shyly, “But I don’t even know what to play.”  
  
  
Kyungsoo scoffed, “Please, you are the best piano player I’ve heard, you could play ‘Twinkle Little Star’ and they’d let you in.”  
  
  
“Are you saying I should play Mozart?” Baekhyun asked playfully. Kyungsoo swatted his arm but added, “Actually, that’s not a bad idea. I’m a brilliant man.”  
  
  
“What? Like KV 617?” Baekhyun asked. Kyungsoo hummed, recognizing the far-out look in the younger boy’s eyes as a sign he was no longer listening. It happened at times, Baekhyun would suddenly get an idea and get so caught up in his own thoughts he’d fail to notice what went on around him.  
  
  
Two hours and five eternities later they made it to a clear around the middle of the mountain. Kyungsoo could see some sort of construction not too far away and they all walked in the general direction; only what seemed like a roof was visible through the foliage. Soon enough they were standing at the edge of the clearing and in front of a small cottage. Minseok told them to stay behind while he checked it out and walked ahead. Lu Han stood at the back of the group, nervously fiddling with his backpack; Kyungsoo was painfully aware of Jongdae’s presence right behind him.  
  
  
They all watched Minseok go inside the house and waited in tense silence for him to go out again. Not too long after, Minseok was walking out, talking into his walkie-talkie with a man in handcuffs at his side. Kyungsoo and Jongdae immediately went inside the house and started searching around for… something. Chanyeol and Baekhyun stayed outside with Minseok and Lu Han was left with the task of leading Minseok’s back-up to their location.  
  
  
If Kyungsoo weren’t so well trained, he probably wouldn’t have noticed the loose tiles on the floor.  
  
  
“Jongdae-yah,” Kyungsoo called, “Help me with this.”  
  
  
They removed the trap and revealed a staircase that led downstairs ( _Deja-vu much?_ Kyungsoo thought to himself.) Jongdae climbed down first and gasped when he reached the bottom. Kyungsoo was right behind him.  
  
  
There were ten, maybe fifteen young girls tied around the room. They all looked to be teenagers, though some seemed a little older, perhaps twenty-one years old at the most. Their clothes were ragged and dirty, and the room smelled like human misery.  
  
  
“Jongdae, go get Minseok,” Kyungsoo said in a tight voice. Jongdae nearly tripped on his way up, and he wasn’t even two feet away from the trap when he started shouting “ _Minseok hyung!_ ”  
  
  
The girls all looked terrified; the poor things didn’t seem like they had seen the sunlight in a long time. Kyungsoo shakily walked to the nearest one and crouched down in front of her.  
  
  
“Hey,” he spoke in what he hoped was a soothing tone, “We’re here to help. You’ll be ok.” He then began to untie her from the pipes above her head. She lowered her arms and pulled them close to her chest with a pained hiss. Kyungsoo quickly got to work with the bonds on the girl next to her; Kyungsoo was disgusted when he noticed how young that girl was, probably no older than fifteen years old.  
  
  
Baekhyun and Chanyeol were downstairs in a flash and helped untie the other girls, then took turns to carry them upstairs seeing how they could barely stand on their own two feet. They sat the girls on the grass and distributed their bottles of water around, making sure they all got to drink something.  
  
  
At 3 o’clock the police arrived at the place, a sweaty and beat Lu Han at the front. As soon as he caught sight of the girls his eyes went wide as saucers and seriously looked like he was gonna pass out.  
  
  
The policemen took turns interrogating the girls before talking to Kyungsoo and the others. Chanyeol talked first, told them all about his missing grandfather and how he’d gone to Kyungsoo for help. But when he got to the part with the warehouse his shoulders sagged; he looked like the past few weeks were finally catching up to him and he had to sit down. Jongdae took over for him then, with Kyungsoo putting his two cents every once in a while. A helicopter was sent to pick up the girls, and twenty minutes later another chopper showed up to take them all home. The police told them they’d probably have to go the department to clear up some things in the morning, but they were free to go for the night.  
  
  
Baekhyun dragged Chanyeol to his car and drove him home; Chanyeol claimed to be fine enough to drive – a blatant lie, and Baekhyun gave him his trademark ‘ _are you shitting me?_ ’ look. Lu Han and Jongdae went home together, the older man collapsing on the backseat with a groan of exhaustion. Minseok offered to give Kyungsoo a ride home but the detective declined. He needed the fresh air.  
  
  
The entire walk home Kyungsoo tried to get the image of those girls out of his mind, but it was impossible. When he passed Mrs. Kim’s bakery, the old woman rushed out of the local and tried convincing Kyungsoo to go inside and have a cup of coffee.  
  
  
“On the house,” she promised him, winking her eye. Usually, Kyungsoo would have been more than glad to take her up on the offer, but his body was screaming at him to get home and crash. So he had to say no in the most polite way possible, knowing the woman was really old and took offense easily. Thankfully, she let him go with a pat on the arm and a goodbye.  
  
  
The sun was low in the sky by the time Kyungsoo walked into his apartment. Kyungsoo didn’t even have time to process what he was doing; he faintly noticed taking his clothes off and stepping into the warm water, then reaching for the nearest sweatpants and collapsing on his bed.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
His entire life Baekhyun had been told he looked like a puppy. And he was ok with that, because it was kind of true. And besides, there was nothing wrong with being cute. His family and friends used to say it was because of his fluffy hair, which flopped when he ran around the backyard (admittedly, he’d once been chasing a squirrel, but that was a different story and he was, like, eight.)  
  
  
Later on, his girlfriend Taeyeon told him he made odd sounds in his sleep, like the yelps new born puppies did. Yet another uncanny resemblance to canines, but it didn’t bother him. Kyungsoo said it was because of his droopy eyes; Jongdae said he was just so cute. But never had he felt more offended than when sitting next to a drunken Chanyeol.  
  
  
“I look like a _what_?” Baekhyun asked just to make sure he had heard correctly.  
  
  
“Like a girl,” Chanyeol giggled. They were sitting side by side in Chanyeol’s kitchen counter, a variety of alcohol bottles scattered in front of them. Chanyeol was cradling a whisky bottle in his arms and had momentarily stopped his redemption of ‘ _All of me_ ’ to insult Baekhyun.  
  
  
Baekhyun wasn’t sure how they had ended up drinking; he had originally meant to drop him off and the go home, but the kid had looked so heartbroken and miserable; Baekhyun didn’t find it in himself to leave him alone. Chanyeol led him through the long corridors of his house, admittedly smaller than his grandfather’s but still big enough for Baekhyun to get lost, towards the cellar where he kept all his alcohol. It was a cosy room with a low ceiling and row after row of wine.  
  
  
Next thing he knows, Chanyeol was grabbing a bottle of tequila and chugging down without bothering to use a cup. Baekhyun should have stopped him, but he figured the poor guy needed it. He refused any ounce of alcohol though, because at least one of them should have good judgement. Chanyeol then told Baekhyun about his childhood memories with his grandfather; how they always went for ice cream on Sundays, Friday dinners at the Japanese restaurant three blocks away from the man’s house, the time Chanyeol tried petting a cat and it scratched him across the face and his grandfather had bought him Rilakkuma Band-Aids.  
  
  
He started slurring his words pretty soon, but Baekhyun didn’t need to know what he was saying to see how hurt he was; eventually Chanyeol started humming some American song and it had spiralled down to a one-man concert, the track list including Linkin Park and Justin Bieber.  
  
  
After an hour or two Chanyeol drifted off to sleep and Baekhyun was left with the task of tugging the giant of a man to his bedroom; if he could find it, of course. Baekhyun ventured into the hallway again in search of the bedroom, walking past the kitchen and living room and up the stairs. There weren’t many rooms upstairs; most of them bare except for a bed and desk, meaning those were just for guests. There was only one room left, and Baekhyun opened the door in advance and was just about to turn back around to get Chanyeol when something caught his eyes.  
  
  
Wedged between the desk and the wall was a lone white sheet of paper; Baekhyun inspected it closer and gasped when he read the first few lines. His hands flew to his phone and scrambled to find Kyungsoo’s contact. It seemed to ring forever until his boss finally picked up and asked groggily, “What is it, Baekhyun?”  
  
  
“Hyung you have to come to Chanyeol’s house right now, I found something,” Baekhyun said in a rush, “I’ll text you and Jongdae hyung the address.”  
  
  
Baekhyun hung up and sent his hyungs the address. Then he ran back down to the cellar and shook Chanyeol awake. The boy blearily opened his eyes and mumbled something before falling back asleep.  
  
  
“Come on, man,” Baekhyun grumbled, tugging Chanyeol to his feet, “You need to get up.”  
  
  
Figuring it would be easier to dunk his head under the water, Baekhyun summoned all the strength in his body and hauled Chanyeol to the kitchen, where he opened the tab and, grabbing a fistful of Chanyeol’s hair, put the boy’s face under the stream. Chanyeol was wide awake in an instant and considerably less drunk; his eyes were no longer hazy and he stared in shock at Baekhyun.  
  
  
“What the hell was that about, Byun?” he asked.  
  
  
“You need to wake up and sober up, Kyungsoo and Jongdae hyungs are on their way here,” Baekhyun informed him, rummaging around the cabinets. “Where do you keep your coffee? You’ll need it.”  
  
  
Chanyeol pointed to the counter behind Baekhyun as he asked, “Why are they coming here?”  
  
  
Baekhyun stopped his movements, biting his lower lip as he tried to decide whether to tell Chanyeol or wait.  
  
  
“I found something in your room,” he said carefully.  
  
  
Chanyeol looked confused. “What were you doing in my room?”  
  
  
“I was looking for it so I could drag your passed out ass to a real bed so you wouldn’t have to sleep on the floor,” Baekhyun waved him off, “Either way, I found this.” He showed him the letter and watched Chanyeol’s face darken and pale at the same time as he read.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Not long later there was a knock on the door and Baekhyun answered it to be met face to face with a grumpy Kyungsoo and a half-asleep Jongdae.  
  
  
“This better be good,” Kyungsoo threatened as he pushed past his secretary. Jongdae simply waved and crashed on the couch, face down. Chanyeol was standing rigid by the window; he hadn’t said a word since he read the letter.  
  
  
Baekhyun gave Kyungsoo the letter.  
  
  
_My dearest Chanyeol,  
  
  
I wish we had had more time, but this is the best I can do. I should have been honest with you from the very beginning, it was the least you deserved, but I simply couldn’t stand it if you decided to get away. My real line of work is not honest; it is not a path for the good, which is why I made sure to keep you far away from this life of mine. You are too precious, and the thought of you getting hurt because of my job is unbearable. However, good sources are telling me that the one man I trust the most, besides you, has betrayed me and is plotting to eliminate me. I’m afraid we won’t be together anymore. I am deeply sorry for the pain it will cause you; but I have decided to come clean with you.  
  
  
I am a mafia boss, as you kids call it these days. I have done very bad things in my life, things that have affected many. If you wish, you can hand this letter over to the authorities: in the back I will write the name of the man who deceived me and of those who work with him. I made sure to leave everything I legitimately y own to you.  
  
  
I am very sorry, and I hope you know that you were the one wonderful thing in my life. I love you, _  
  
  


_Your grandfather._

  
  
  
Jongdae and Kyungsoo were silent for a long time, and the house was submerged in silence. No one knew what to say, didn’t even know if it would be polite to leave. The chances of Mr. Park being dead were high, and no matter who he was it would still be a blow to Chanyeol. It seemed forever before Chanyeol turned around and said, “I’m going to the police.”  
  
  
The three looked at him, not exactly surprised. The letter said who had killed Mr. Park, and the police would probably be able to bring down an entire net with their evidence and Mr. Park’s confession.  
  
  
“Would you like us to come with you?” Jongdae asked carefully. Chanyeol nodded, looking like a little kid whom had gotten scolded. It was so painful to look at, those big eyes clouded with sadness.  
  
  
It was almost eleven pm when they left for the police department. Baekhyun drove and Jongdae rode shotgun, with Kyungsoo and Chanyeol in the backseat. Kyungsoo stared out the window, thinking. He wasn’t sure how he felt; on the one hand, this was his biggest case so far and he was incredibly proud to see it solved and closed. But he couldn’t help but feel terrible for Chanyeol; even if he was sure the boy wouldn’t like to be pitied.  
  
  
Kyungsoo thought back to all those times he doubted his choices; all those times a rich woman would hire him to follow their husbands around. This what he’d always wanted, to bring criminals to justice. He just never thought how it would feel like to get close to someone and then destroy their lives. And he had gotten close to Chanyeol; he was definitely fond of the kid, had learnt to love his wide smile and twitching eyes, and he was sure he would be seeing him often with Baekhyun.  
  
  
The police were puzzled to see them again so soon, but it all changed when Chanyeol wordlessly handed over the letter and walked out. Baekhyun went after him while Jongdae and Kyungsoo were held back by the officer to answer questions. Most of them were easy, but at times Kyungsoo found himself stunt, not sure what to say. Eventually, one officer asked Jongdae to bring all the evidence they had found and the man left. Kyungsoo stayed to help out with what he could. Ten minutes later, Minseok beckoned him to a corner with a troubled look on his face.  
  
  
“There was a problem,” Minseok said, “When they arrived at the office, they found….” He trailed off.  
  
  
There was a horrible sensation in Kyungsoo’s stomach. “What is it?”  
  
  
“They- it’s…” Minseok sighed, “It burn down, Kyungsoo yah. The whole place, it’s gone. I’m sorry.”  
  
  
Kyungsoo got tunnel vision and his legs seemed to be giving out under him; he balanced himself with a hand on the wall.  
  
  
His whole life savings had gone to getting that office; he worked his butt off in high school and college and now it was gone. It didn’t seem real. Minseok lead him to his desk and sat him down, rushing off to get him some water before he passed out. Kyungsoo didn’t feel like fainting, though; crying, sure. Screaming like a child, of course. But he didn’t do any of those things.  
  
  
He simply put his head between his legs and tried with all his might not to throw up all over the wooden floor. It seemed like quality wood, and he didn’t want to ruin it.  
  
  
Jongdae was back in less than five minutes and was right there next to him in a second. Kyungsoo didn’t know what he was saying, but he understood what Jongdae wanted. He got up and walked on wobbly legs to the cruiser waiting for them outside.  
  
  
Jongin had always wanted to ride in a police car, Kyungsoo recalled in a haze. They were dropped off at Kyungsoo’s apartment where a tired Jongin was waiting for him. Kyungsoo was surprised when Jongdae followed him inside but didn’t protest, just like he didn’t protest when Jongin tugged him into a hug. It was comforting, his best friend would always be. He always smelled the same and felt the same, which was as reassuring as Kyungsoo needed. Jongdae set to prepare tea for Kyungsoo while Jongin helped Kyungsoo out of his clothes and into pajamas. Kyungsoo was grateful for that, not sure he would have managed on his own.  
  
  
Jongin left them alone without a word after hugging Kyungsoo one last time and retreating to his room. Jongdae looked at him from the other side of the counter and a silent agreement passed through them. Kyungsoo found himself in Jongdae’s arms in a second, and he wasn’t sure what was about this hug that did it, but he suddenly found himself crying into Jongdae’s shoulder. Jongdae held him tight as Kyungsoo wept like a child, murmuring comforting yet nonsensical things from time to time. Kyungsoo didn’t catch anything he said; too busy ruining his shirt with salty tears.  
  
  
Jongdae moved them to the couch where he continued comforting him. It took him some time but eventually Kyungsoo calmed down enough to pull away and say, “I’m sorry.”  
  
  
“What for?” Jongdae asked, clearly puzzled. Kyungsoo shrugged, “For everything. For getting you fired, for the fire, for making you suffer.”  
  
  
“Ok, first of all, it isn’t your fault I was fired. Those people never liked me anyway. Second, that fire was not your fault at all. And third, I think you and I can agree we’re both idiots.”  
  
  
Kyungsoo could definitely agree to that.  
  
  
“We never had that talk,” Kyungsoo mumbled, feeling strangely shy all of a sudden.  
  
  
Jongdae shrugged. “What’s there to talk about? You like me, I like you. We’re both stupid, but I guess we can work with that.”  
  
  
Kyungsoo smiled for the first time that night and Jongdae returned it with one of the most dazzling smiles Kyungsoo had ever seen in him.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The next eight months went by in a dizzying rush. Kyungsoo used the insurance money to rent another, albeit not nearly as cool, new office. Jongdae continued working with him, and the news about their last case brought in more clientele than before. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who had caused the fire; when the police arrested the men on Mr. Park’s list, they found one of the subordinates two blocks away from the crumbling building.  
  
  
Lee Minho, Mr. Park’s right hand, was charged with murder among many, many other crimes. As expected, the whole mafia was shut down, considering the amount of evidence provided by Kyungsoo and the confession on Mr. Park’s letter. Kyungsoo was thanked personally by the mayor, which was something Kyungsoo barely recalled because he was so high up in the clouds. The trial was short and soon Lee Minho was behind bars for the rest of his life. Kyungsoo would never forget the look of relieve in Chanyeol’s face; he had looked so worn out for so long.  
  
  
It felt good, being the one who did that. Kyungsoo put a bad man in prison, and it felt like nothing else. Chanyeol did in fact inherit most of his grandfather’s legal properties, including the mansion in Gangnam. Kyungsoo saw him regularly, whenever the tall man stopped by the office to take Baekhyun out for lunch. Kyungsoo was sure he’d never seen that kid so happy.  
  
  
Baekhyun was doing the impossible by juggling college, work and practice for his audition at the same time. Kyungsoo didn’t know how he did it and still managed to be a little ball of energy all the time, but he suspected it had to do with Chanyeol’s electric personality. Being around them was more effective than drinking five energy drinks in a row.  
  
  
The one thing Kyungsoo looked forward to the most was Baekhyun’s audition. His secretary refused to tell any of them what he would be playing; saying that if they wanted to know so badly then they’d just have to go support him. Like that wasn’t the plan already, but whatever.  
  
  
Minseok got promoted to senior officer. They threw him a celebratory party at Oh Sehun’s bar, where Kyungsoo got the shock of his life when Jongin walked in and, after congratulating Minseok, made a beeline for Sehun and kissed him. Kyungsoo didn’t even know his best friend was gay. He probably aged like twenty years in that second, and Jongin smiled shyly when he met eyes with a gaping Kyungsoo. It didn’t help that Jongdae guffawed and made fun of his shocked expression the entire night. Kyungsoo eventually gave him an unimpressed look and shoved cake on his face.  
  
  
And speaking of Jongdae: things had turned out better than Kyungsoo expected. Jongdae seemed fond of taking him out on dates just so he could embarrass Kyungsoo in public by calling him things like ‘ _honey_ ’ or ‘ _sweet cheeks_ ’ or other equally humiliating pet names. It was strange, suddenly being able to hold Jongdae’s hand or hugging him or even kissing him; sometimes Kyungsoo forgot they were together and would feel embarrassed for being caught staring at him until Jongdae smiled and reached for him and Kyungsoo would think, ‘ _Ah, that’s right._ ”  
  


  
  
  
  
EPILOGUE  
  
  
The packed hall was brimming with people, most of them proud parents. There were some younger attendees, probably tired college roommates showing support, although Kyungsoo suspected they were also there for the free pizza being offered. At least Jongdae claimed being there for that sole reason.  
  
  
Kyungsoo felt nervous, and there was a bead of sweat on his upper lip despite the cool air blowing around. Not nervous for himself, of course, but for Baekhyun. He knew how the pianist got when he was under pressure and it wasn’t pretty. He checked his program again, even if he already knew it by heart.  
  
  
First, some kid called Ahn Jihyun would be playing the violin. Then, Byun Baekhyun with the piano. Kyungsoo was a hundred and one percent sure Baekhyun was cursing his last name and the alphabetical order to hell and back.  
  
“Hey,” said a deep voice from behind him, “I’m not late, am I?”  
  
  
Kyungsoo spun around and was met face to chest with Chanyeol. Kyungsoo had to step back and tilt his head up to look him in the eye. Chanyeol looked like he’d just gotten out of the office and had run all the way to the auditorium; his hair was windswept and his suit was just the tiniest bit wrinkled. Still, he looked as handsome as he did any other time of the year. Kyungsoo was jealous; he’d probably look like hell if he worked eight hours and then ran to catch an audition.  
  
  
“No, you’re right on time,” Kyungsoo told him, offering him a smile to calm his nerves, “Jongdae’s the one who’s late.”  
  
  
As soon as the words left his mouth, the main entrance flew open and in came a giant bouquet of flowers with a smiling Jongdae attached to the back. Kyungsoo fought down the thudding of his heart and the blush on his cheeks just so he could give his boyfriend a disapproving look.  
  
  
“You’re late,” Kyungsoo accused him. Jongdae’s grin didn’t even waver.  
  
  
“No, I’m not. I saw Chanyeol come in ten seconds ago.”  
  
  
Jongdae trusted the bouquet in Chanyeol’s arms and moved to kiss Kyungsoo. Or he would have if Kyungsoo hadn’t moved out of the way at the last second and the kiss landed on his cheek. Kyungsoo wasn’t big on public shows of attention. Jongdae didn’t even react, simply smiled like he always did.  
  
  
Chanyeol was looking through the program, making ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ sounds when he read something interesting. Kyungsoo also saw something, but it wasn’t interesting. It was nerve wracking.  
  
  
“Oh my God,” he whispered. Jongdae and Chanyeol looked in the same direction as he was but didn’t understand what was going on.  
  
  
“What is it?” Jongdae frowned.  
  
  
“That’s Lee Soo Man,” Kyungsoo hissed, pointing as discreetly as humanly possible towards the entrance where an old man was taking his coat off and handing it over to a younger boy.  
  
  
“From SM?” Chanyeol asked. Kyungsoo nodded, still in shock.  
  
  
“Are you sure? Maybe he just looks like him,” Jongdae said.  
  
  
Just then, they overheard him say his name to the lady in the front entrance with the guest list and Kyungsoo was proved right.  
  
  
“Did I fucking stutter?” Kyungsoo said, looking at Jongdae with a ‘are you stupid’ look. Just the usual exchange in their relationship.  
  
  
“What do you think he’s doing here?” Jongdae asked, still gaping like a fish and being overly obvious.  
  
  
“Scouting for talent, probably,” Kyungsoo adverted his eyes and studied the program again, “There’s a lot of kids here singing and dancing and playing their own music. This audition was open for the entire Music program.”  
  
  
“I thought people auditioned in their early teens,” Jongdae asked.  
  
  
“If they want to be idols, yes,” Chanyeol said, “But you can also work there as a backup dancer or something else.”  
  
  
“Do you think Baekhyun knows?” Kyungsoo watched out of the corner of his eyes as Lee Soo Man greeted the judges with smiles and handshakes.  
  
  
“Who knows,” Chanyeol shrugged, “But I hope he doesn’t or else he’ll be a thousand times more nervous. Probably throw up backstage or something.”  
  
  
“Probably throw up on stage,” Jongdae muttered. A soft, bell-like sound came from the speakers around the reception and the guests moved towards the auditorium. Kyungsoo’s suit was suddenly too tight around the collar.  
  
  
“Show time,” Chanyeol said.  
  
  
The inside of the auditorium was packed, but thankfully there were assigned seats so they didn’t have to sit at the far back. Instead, they were near the front with a perfect view of the stage and an elderly couple on one side and a family on the other.  
  
  
One of the judges, an wrinkled lady with white hair and burgundy jacket and pencil skirt, gave a short speech, thanking them all for attending and wishing all the students good luck on their performance. Then she thanked Lee Soo Man specifically for the opportunity he would be giving three lucky kids.  
  
  
“Well, if Baekhyun didn’t know before, now he does,” Jongdae whispered to Kyungsoo. On the other side of the assistant, Chanyeol was looking terrified. Kyungsoo thought it was cute.  
  
  
An overhead voice called for Ahn Jihyun to come on stage. A small blonde girl walked in with a violin in her hands and played a song of her composition. Kyungsoo enjoyed it, but as soon as she was bowing and walking off stage he was cursing her. The same voice called for Baekhyun.  
  
  
Kyungsoo watched as two crew men rolled a piano to the middle of the stage. Next, Baekhyun walked out. Kyungsoo thought he looked impeccable; he wore a black suit ad his hair was combed neatly to the side. His hands were shaking almost imperceptibly. Kyungsoo could feel his heart hammering in his chest.  
  
  
Baekhyun bowed to the audience and sat down on the bench. A soft song started playing from his fingers, but Kyungsoo was truly surprised when Baekhyun started singing. Now, he’d heard Baekhyun sing before, in the car and at noraebang nights. But it had always been slightly off key, drunk or not.  
  
  
However, this Baekhyun could hit notes perfectly in a way Kyungsoo couldn’t have expected. Looking over, he noticed Jongdae looked as surprised as he was. But Chanyeol wasn’t. Chanyeol looked overly proud and excited, but not surprised in the least. The entire audience seemed enraptured by his performance. Even the little kid next to Baekhyun had quietened down and was listening intently.  
  
  
All too soon Baekhyun was finished and the crowd exploded in cheers. Baekhyun bowed again, clearly not having expected that reaction and was off the stage in a flash. The rest of the show Kyungsoo kept being blown away by the amount of talent being showcased. A girl named Stephanie Hwang sang like her life depended on it. Another boy called Lee Taemin danced to a Michael Jackson song.  
  
  
Two hours later, the same lady went back on stage to say a closing speech and then they were all filing out back to the reception. As soon as Baekhyun was through the door he was tackled by Chanyeol, whom hugged the life out of the poor kid like the overexcited kid he was. Jongdae ruffled Baekhyun’s hair and offered him the flowers. Baekhyun looked to Kyungsoo expectantly. Kyungsoo didn’t even have words, but he didn’t need them. He hugged Baekhyun and only said he was proud, knowing Baekhyun understood what he meant.  
  
  
They were chatting quietly when Jongdae’s eyes went wide as saucers and Lee Soo Man appeared from behind Chanyeol.  
  
  
“Hello, gentlemen,” the man said, “If you’d allow me a minute with young Baekhyun, please?”  
  
  
Kyungsoo nodded dumbly and tugged the two boys away. They watched from behind a pillar as Lee Soo Man said something to Baekhyun, then Baekhyun said something back, they shook hands and then Lee Soo Man was gone and Baekhyun looked delirious.  
  
  
“What did he say?” Chanyeol asked as soon as he was in hearing range. Baekhyun looked at him as if he were speaking from a fish tank.  
  
  
“He… wanted to offer me a job at the company,” Baekhyun said faintly, “As a composer or maybe a songwriter. He even said I could be a trainee if I was interested in the idol life.”  
  
  
“And?” Jongdae urged, “What did you tell him?”  
  
  
“What do you think I said?” Baekhyun asked, “Yes, of course! Maybe not an idol, but definitely yes as a composer. Oh God, I think I’m gonna pass out.”  
  
  
“Please don’t,” was all Kyungsoo said. But the smile on his face told Baekhyun he supported him one hundred percent.  
  
  
“Does this mean we have to get another secretary?” Jongdae asked hours later as they were leaving the bar. They’d taken Baekhyun out to celebrate, with Minseok tagging along and offering to pay for all of Baekhyun’s drinks. Of course, the young boy couldn’t say no that offer.  
  
  
“Probably,” Baekhyun mused as he hailed a cab, “You could ask Jongin. But don’t even think you’re getting rid of me so easily. Come on Chanyeol.”  
  
  
Chanyeol didn’t look like he knew where they were going but didn’t mind. When they were gone, Jongdae turned to Kyungsoo and demanded, “Well, we’re alone now. Can I kiss my boyfriend or are you afraid the flies will judge us?”  
  
  
Kyungsoo scowled and started walking away in mock anger. Jongdae laughed behind him and caught up to him and laced their fingers together.  
  
  
“Sorry, it’s just we haven’t kissed all day and I feel deprived.”  
  
  
Kyungsoo scoffed. “Addict,” he muttered.  
  
  
“I’m addicted to you,” Jongdae sing sang. Kyungsoo stepped on his foot.  
  


 

 

 


End file.
